Tuesday, June 18th, 201312:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Presented by: Todd Schwartz, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Abstract

Teaching Principles of One-Way Analysis of Variance Using M&M's Candy

I present an active learning classroom exercise illustrating essential principles of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) methods. The exercise is easily conducted by the instructor and is instructive (as well as enjoyable) for the students. This is conducive for demonstrating many theoretical and practical issues related to ANOVA and lends itself to multiple possible configurations of ANOVA results, leading to rich classroom discussion and deeper student understanding of real-world applications of the methods.

Examples are highly sought by both students and teachers. This is particularly true as many statistical instructors aim to engage their students and increase active participation. While simulated datasets are functional, they lack real perspective and the intricacies of actual data. Described is the creation of a new web-based statistical educational resource. This growing dataset repository presents raw data from real medical studies and offers (a) a vignette summarizing the study, research question and study design; (b) a data dictionary with clear documentation of variables and codes; (c) a complete citation for the associated study publication; and (d) a variety of data formats compatible with the majority of statistical packages.